IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jscscx/v12y2023i11p587-d1266686.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Comparison of Interdependent and Subjective Happiness between Japanese and Thai College Students: A Research Note

Author

Listed:
  • Hitomi Aoyama

    (Graduate School of Contemporary Culture, Hijiyama University, Hiroshima 732-8509, Japan)

  • Satoshi Horiuchi

    (Department of Social and Clinical Psychology, Hijiyama University, Hiroshima 732-8509, Japan)

Abstract

Cross-cultural studies have suggested that happiness in Eastern countries is characterized by a greater extent of relationships and harmony with others than in Western countries; however, happiness levels may differ across Asian countries. A comparison of happiness levels between Japan and Thailand provides a unique opportunity to identify this difference. Thailand has experienced rapid economic growth, going from a low-income to an upper-middle-income country in the span of a single generation. Japan is a high-income country. This study compared levels of interdependent and subjective happiness between Japanese and Thai college students. Participants were 101 Japanese and 157 Thai college students who completed well-established multiple-item scales for interdependent and subjective happiness. The data were collected through online surveys. The level of subjective happiness was significantly higher among Thai college students than their Japanese counterparts, while that of interdependent happiness did not differ. The differences were small based on the effect sizes. These results extend previous findings by using established, multiple-item scales of interdependent and subjective happiness to demonstrate that Thai individuals show higher levels of happiness compared with their Japanese counterparts.

Suggested Citation

  • Hitomi Aoyama & Satoshi Horiuchi, 2023. "Comparison of Interdependent and Subjective Happiness between Japanese and Thai College Students: A Research Note," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-7, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:12:y:2023:i:11:p:587-:d:1266686
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/11/587/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/11/587/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chee-Seng Tan & Shue-Ling Chong & Argel Bondoc Masanda & Sanju George, 2021. "Psychometric Qualities Evaluation of the Interdependent Happiness Scale across Malaysia, Philippines, and India," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Yukiko Uchida & Vinai Norasakkunkit & Shinobu Kitayama, 2004. "Cultural constructions of happiness: theory and emprical evidence," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 223-239, September.
    3. Luo Lu & Robin Gilmour, 2004. "Culture and conceptions of happiness: individual oriented and social oriented swb," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 269-291, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Erik Carlquist & Pål Ulleberg & Antonella Delle Fave & Hilde E. Nafstad & Rolv M. Blakar, 2017. "Everyday Understandings of Happiness, Good Life, and Satisfaction: Three Different Facets of Well-being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(2), pages 481-505, June.
    2. Jan Eichhorn, 2013. "Unemployment Needs Context: How Societal Differences between Countries Moderate the Loss in Life-Satisfaction for the Unemployed," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(6), pages 1657-1680, December.
    3. Jan Eichhorn, 2014. "The (Non-) Effect of Unemployment Benefits: Variations in the Effect of Unemployment on Life-Satisfaction Between EU Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 389-404, October.
    4. Igor Sotgiu & Licia Tirloni & Julissa Thomas Zapata, 2021. "Cultural Similarities and Variations in the Conceptions of Happiness and Unhappiness: A Comparison Between Italy and Honduras," Psychology and Developing Societies, , vol. 33(2), pages 232-257, September.
    5. Hock-Eam Lim & Daigee Shaw & Pei-Shan Liao & Hongbo Duan, 2020. "The Effects of Income on Happiness in East and South Asia: Societal Values Matter?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 391-415, February.
    6. Miriam Sang-Ah Park & Mohsen Joshanloo, 2021. "Satisfaction with Life Declines with Age in Malaysia: an Exploratory Analysis of Factors Influencing Subjective Well-Being in a Developing/Middle-Income Country," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(2), pages 471-486, April.
    7. Mohsen Joshanloo & Dan Weijers, 2014. "Aversion to Happiness Across Cultures: A Review of Where and Why People are Averse to Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 717-735, June.
    8. Aaron Adibe Agbo & Blessing Ome, 2017. "Happiness: Meaning and Determinants Among Young Adults of the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 151-175, February.
    9. Louise Lambert D'raven & Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi, 2015. "Happiness in the United Arab Emirates: conceptualisations of happiness among Emirati and other Arab students," International Journal of Happiness and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 2(1), pages 1-21.
    10. Ethan McMahan & Seungah Ryu & Incheol Choi, 2014. "Lay Conceptions of Well-Being Among Undergraduate Students from the United States and South Korea: Culture-Level Differences and Correlates," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 321-339, October.
    11. Silvia Exenberger & Raphaela Banzer & Jayakumar Christy & Stefan Höfer & Barbara Juen, 2019. "Eastern and Western Children’s Voices on their Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(3), pages 747-768, June.
    12. Ayriza, Yulia & Izzaty, Rita Eka & Romadhani, Rahmatika Kurnia & Oktaviani, Fitriana & Wicaksono, Banyu, 2022. "Exploring the meaning of happiness of middle childhood children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    13. Dezhu Ye & Yew-Kwang Ng & Yujun Lian, 2015. "Culture and Happiness," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 123(2), pages 519-547, September.
    14. Hiromi Taniguchi & Deborah A. Potter, 2016. "Who are your Neighbors? Neighbor Relationships and Subjective Well-Being in Japan," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 11(4), pages 1425-1443, December.
    15. L. Lambert D’raven & N. Pasha-Zaidi, 2016. "Using the PERMA Model in the United Arab Emirates," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(3), pages 905-933, February.
    16. Mohsen Joshanloo & Dan Weijers, 2014. "Aversion to Happiness Across Cultures: A Review of Where and Why People are Averse to Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 717-735, June.
    17. Hiromi Taniguchi & Gayle Kaufman, 2019. "Self-Construal, Social Support, and Loneliness in Japan," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(4), pages 941-960, September.
    18. Ethan A. McMahan & Incheol Choi & Yuri Kwon & Jongan Choi & Joshua Fuller & Patrick Josh, 2016. "Some Implications of Believing That Happiness Involves the Absence of Pain: Negative Hedonic Beliefs Exacerbate the Effects of Stress on Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 2569-2593, December.
    19. Tapas MISHRA & Mamata PARHI & Claude DIEBOLT, 2014. "Evolutionary efficiency and distributive effects of inertia in cross-country life-satisfaction," Economies et Sociétés (Serie 'Histoire Economique Quantitative'), Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), issue 49, pages 1335-1356, Août.
    20. Liselot Hudders & Mario Pandelaere, 2012. "The Silver Lining of Materialism: The Impact of Luxury Consumption on Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 411-437, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:12:y:2023:i:11:p:587-:d:1266686. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.